Garmin Nuvifone G60 adds cellphone to GPS unit

Article by Jefferson Graham

This article had a lot to it as far as pros and cons. The first thing I was taken back by was the video feature with the article! Wow, I thought, an actual technological component to be added to the Tech online media section of USA Today. I was very excited at first because I thought it was such a great thing to add video to an article in the Tech section. Then I was let down.... really let down.

The video seems pointless. It's two guys walking around talking about the phone with some awkward scenery just because it's a video? The audio is pretty poor for the majority of the video and it is not very visually stimulating. The transitions are extremely choppy. The video barely moves away from the boring image of watching to men talk. There is a cut to part of the commercial for the phone (not necessary) and a cheap looking graphic of a GPS. It seems like this video was made by someone who had never done video in the past and once the final production was done someone should have prevented this from being posted online. Most of my criticisms I try to stay away from completely going off on something I personally didn't like and others may enjoy, but this time something must be said.

I liked the scene setting lead for this story. Having the reader imagine traveling by a GPS and making a phone call was a good way to lead into the new Nuvifone. I think Graham does a good job of making a few critical points about the phone and offering his opinion.

Overall, the article is rather short but it gets a few points across and is just enough that people can get informed and those who are interested in the Nuvifone can look into further through the phone's retailer, AT&T.

Really, I just can't get over the video. Embarrassing to say the least.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/phones/2009-10-28-garmin-nuvifone-g60-cellphone_N.htm

That's all for now folks

Phishing scammers try new tricks to snag Web data

Article by Byron Acohido

This article discusses the technique of phishing and its increase today compared to previous years. Acohido does a great job of presenting facts and explaining exactly what hackers are doing and why they are doing it.

He does not go into much detail on how hackers can get into your system but for this article it is best he doesn't. It's best he leaves out specific details because obviously he doesn't want to teach any new hackers tricks and because it would make this article dull and long.

Acohido uses Sophos as a source and quotes a Sophos researcher as well. However, although I know Sophos sells anti-virus products among other things, I do not believe the common reader would know this. I think he should have elaborated a bit on Sophos and what they sell, their purpose, etc.

I do like at the end the list Acohido provides of why hackers want your passwords and other bullet pointed facts. It is interesting to see this kind of print-type sidebar used in an online setting. I feel this aspect to the article makes it stronger because it pulls out some key facts for readers to focus on. Yet, I think that since this article is in the technology beat and is online, there could be more multimedia involved. In my opinion, a simple sidebar should not really be used in online media unless additional media resources are included.

Yet, I do feel as though I learned a lot from this article and my question about why should I care about cybercrooks was answered thoroughly.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-10-27-cybercrime-phishing-account-passwords_N.htm

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'Massive momentum' may be ebbing for music video games

Article by Mike Snider

This article talks about the success of Guitar Hero 5 and The Beatles: Rock Band. The article provides interesting information in regards to the sales of these video games.

There are good facts and figures presented such as how many copies have been sold versus how many were expected to be sold. The article also discusses other games such as DJ Hero and Band Hero and Snider does a good job of providing the information of when the games will be released and the prices of the games. I'm not left questioning the hard facts but the explanations of the games are not very clear. However, since the other games are not the main point, it's OK.

Snider also focuses on the popularity of music based video games. I think this is very important and he could have done a better job tying in how music based games are so popular due to the increased technology we have today. For the "tech beat" he could have discusses more how interactive games can be now and the realistic aspects of real life music in these games.

I do not like he used statistics from a USA Today blog's poll. He points out that it is "an unscientific poll" yet I feel that omitting the reference would give the article more legitimacy.

Lastly, while some of the quotes are valuable, the use of a game player quote at the very end of the story was misused. I feel like the quote came out of nowhere and that the source was very random. Snider could have incorporated quotes from Johnson earlier into the story or ended his story on a stronger note than Johnson's one quote.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2009-10-26-video-games-sales_N.htm

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Are retailers going too far tracking our Web habits?

Article by Jayne O'Donnell

This article discusses monitoring online behavior by consumers. The article is very interesting and provides good facts as far as the percentage of people shopping online, how sales are affected, etc.

I think O'Donnell did a great job with this article because there is little critique I can find. The majority of facts are presented and both sides are well represented. The main issue I see is that it is very difficult to work through this article since it is somewhat lengthy and doesn't give the reader quick, clear paragraphs.

The article talks about privacy issues and the cons of Internet monitoring but also does discuss the pros. Yet, I feel as though the article lacks the information of the direction of the future. I'm not sure why this article is relevant to now because it doesn't leave me with what my role is or what is happening in the future. The topic is presented but the timeliness is lacking.

Also, the technological aspect of the article is present as far as the actual tracking and the use of cookies, yet this article is much more based on privacy invasion laws. I think the article would have worked better in a different beat with a more concise focus.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-10-25-retailers-tracking-web-behavior_N.htm

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IBM tries to woo business customers from Windows 7

Article by Byron Acohido

This article discusses IBM's Linux and how Windows users should switch to Linux instead of updating to the new Windows 7.

The article does point out good statistical data such as facts and figures based on how much companies would save by switching to Linux as well as percentages of those planning on standardizing over to Windows 7.

The information presented does the job of presenting the topic of Linux trying to take over Windows users. However, I have no idea what Linux is. Not only do I not know what it is, I don't know it's benefits or what it has to offer that Windows 7 doesn't.

The article seems very biased toward switching over to Linux yet I have no reason to based on this reading. It did make me want to investigate Linux further to learn more but readers shouldn't have to do this. The information should be presented in the article without having huge gaps of questions readers will have.

I also am curious about the technological advances of Linux and the comparison of them to Windows' advances. Quite frankly I'm not sure what actual knowledge I got out of this article other than the acknowledgment of this topic.

I think quite a bit is missing from this article and readers will not get very much value out of it.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/technologylive/2009/10/ibm-tries-to-woo-business-customers-from-windows-7.html

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Musicians ditch studios for tech such as GiO for Macs

Article by Jefferson Graham

I found this article to be very interesting because of its connection to a topic we slightly discussed in class--Uplaya. NPR did a piece about Uplaya and how it rates music based on sounds that are pleasing to the brain. Artists are starting to use Uplaya more and more to try and produce chart toppers. However, there was some concern regarding Uplaya and that fact that sometimes original music is what is popular.

Graham's article talks about Apple's GarageBand program and GiO for Mac computers. The article is interesting because it talks about how people can record songs by using computerized mixers right from home. GarageBand now offers the ability for a guitar to be plugged straight into the computer using a USB connector.

Graham does a good job explaining the programs but he leaves the technology and the hard facts off to the side. For example, "(If you have an older Mac and don't have GarageBand '09, you'll need to fork over $79 for the current iLife suite.)" and also, "(Note to guitar players: Besides the axe and software, you'll also need a USB-to-guitar interface cable, and they're not cheap, averaging around $100.)."

I feel as though he shouldn't leave this kind of information as an afterthought. The use of parentheses is a little odd and disconnects the information from his article. Quite honestly, the information in parentheses is exactly what I want to know. I think this article would have more value if he touched a bit more on these types of facts.

The information presented is valuable but I feel as though there wasn't enough information for me to form an opinion. There wasn't too much information regarding pros and cons of each program and exactly what the use of these programs. Graham discusses the value of not having to go to the studio to record music but what about the cons such as those people in the studio losing their jobs or music losing its creativity.

Overall I feel Graham's story was useful in putting some knowledge out there regarding programs like GarageBand and GiO (actually I'm not even sure what I learned about GiO) but there was a lot lacking from his article.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-10-13-apogee-gio-music_N.htm

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After Vista, Windows 7 is a giant leap for Microsoft

Article by Edward C. Baig

Well, I'm taking on Baig's work again. His last piece I critiqued was his article on the dueling smartphones. I give his recent article on Windows 7 a MUCH better critique. I think he did a great job with this one.

The introduction is yet again, quite unappealing. I feel as though Baig is trying to be too funny and clever with his leads and attention grabbers. In this article, he starts off by talking about the release of Windows 7 right before Halloween. He then goes on to say things like, "the ghostbusters in Redmond will have exorcised a demon," "experienced the frights of Vista," "PC users found Vista so scary," and "Vista's replacement represents a monster leap forward." Really? These are just flat out cheesy.

I am a firm supporter of the clever leads of stories or even the sometimes cheesy comparisons. However, in this article I think Baig is trying much too hard and if he would have jumped into the meat of his story right away, I would have enjoyed it that much more.

However, once again, once you pass the weird comparisons, Baig does a great job of explaining the details of Windows 7. He goes into detail of the pros and cons and also cuts Windows some slack, since he is indeed a Mac fan.

I like how he gives very specific examples of features describing how they work and giving the reader a clear image of what this new program is like. As a reader, I feel very informed and knowledgeable about Windows 7 and I am intrigued to do further research.

The only other main flaw I find in Baig's article is his ending. I'm reading, reading, reading and then all of a sudden it just stops. I think short conclusions are the most effective if they are concise and do a good wrap up. However, Baig seems to just give up on his article as if he reached his word count and decided to stop without editing some of the meat out in order to wrap up the story better.

Overall, I say definitely worth the read.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2009-10-16-baig16_CV_N.htm

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Missing laptop contains data on 800,000 doctors

Article by Byron Acohido

I chose to critique this article more to put my own opinion out there about this topic. This short article talks about the laptop currently missing from a Blue Cross Blue Shield based in Chicago. There are 800,000 doctors' personal information on the laptop. The article also mentions the laptop that was stolen from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The agency lost 26.5 million records because of that one laptop being stolen.

I think this article raises many issues about the pros and cons of technology. Technology seems to be perceived in a positive light the majority of the time and we like to look at technology and its progress through time. Yet, we rarely talk about the serious cons of technology. This is a prime example, having to notify 800,000 doctors that their information is in wrong hands. Should we really be putting all of this information into computers?

The speed of having records computerized and easily accessible is great until the speed of taking it away is just as fast. However, we could also say the opposite in that someone could steal the paper documentation too. Yet, that would be at a much slower rate and would be a more difficult task.

So what do you think readers out there? Should we be holding this kind of information in computers which can be stolen in the blink of an eye?

Also, my one comment on this article overall is that I do not think this is something that should have been well publicized. Quite honestly, I did not know of anything like stealing laptops that contained so much information. I feel that having this news out in the public might encourage/provoke other burglars to try out this new challenge.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/technologylive/2009/10/missing-laptop-contains-data-on-800000-doctors.html

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Who needs a key? IPhone app unlocks and starts car

Article by Chris Woodyard

This article talks about the new application iPhone will be announcing which will be able to do the same features as some standard key fobs: lock, unlock, and start a car. The application will work if consumers install a $499 receiver into their car.

The article in general was quite interesting from a personal point of view. I am absolutely speechless at the idea of an iPhone having this power. Quite honestly, I think this would be a bad application to have if the phone can truly start a car in California while used in Kansas as the article mentions. However, can this application turn off a car if accidentally turned on by the phone? Woodyard does not mention this in the article. Also, can the application be started by a few simple touches because we've all experienced the random phone call made by our pockets or items hitting phones in purses, etc.

Woodyard does a good job explaining the application for the most part, yet he jumps around to a few different new applications out which masks the focus of the article. I would have rather known greater detail about the Viper SmartStart application than a line or two about a tow truck application or be your own DJ.

The article gives the dry facts of the application but lacks pros and cons of this new Viper SmartStart. Keeping the article neutral is definitely important but I think some pros and cons would be beneficial to better understanding the new application.

Overall, very interesting article to read, yet lacks the technology behind how this application works and has a few holes in the details of its uses.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2009-10-12-iphone-app-unlocks-car_N.htm


That's all for now folks

Dueling smartphones: Sprint's Hero, AT&T's Pure

Article by Edward Baig

This article critiques the cell phone "Hero", Sprint's upcoming phone release, and the already on the market AT&T Pure.

I think Baig does a great job of comparing the two phones and he really does take the technological point of view. When Baig breaks down the facts of the phones he does an overall good job of presenting the actual facts and figures yet still lets his opinion sneak into the facts.

In general, Baig's piece is a critique for of AT&T's Pure so the opinionated aspects of his article are ok in this particular story. I think it is a good tool people could use if they were debating between the two types of phones and you can definitely find opinions about each phone all over the Internet. However, I do praise Baig's critique because of his well-structured points and comparisons.

The last thing I noticed about this article is a link within the article telling readers to "Tune in to Baig on ABC's 'America This Morning' Fridays 4:30 a.m." This link is for Baig on TV I believe affects his writing for the printed USA Today. I feel as if his opinions and writing style do reflect more of what a reader would expect to see on TV compared to harder news found in print.

To read his article visit: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2009-10-07-hero-pure-smartphone_N.htm

That's all for now folks

Video game 'Halo' spins off books, action figures and more

(Article by Mike Snider)

This article by Mike Snider about Halo is very well put together and gives the fact a reader is looking for such as dates of new releases and upcoming projects.

The article starts off shaky, however, with the connection of Halo and Star Wars. The comparison of the two franchises is not made clear and is quickly dropped at the start of the article. The use of Star Wars could have better been used if Snider explained just how Halo is meant to rival Star Wars and continued throughout the article contrasting the two.

As the article continues on, I believe some personal opinion of the game slipped into Snider's writing. In regards to the number of people that have bought the new Halo 3: ODST game he says, it is "a nice reception for a game that doesn't star Halo main man, the Master Chief." This quote seems somewhat biased toward the game and the role of Master Chief in Snider's view.

Snider later uses a quote from Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities. I think it would have been beneficial for Snider to explain exactly how Pachter fits into the story and why he chose to quote him particularly. The use of the quote was somewhat random and seemed misplaced.

As far as the breakdown of the rest of the article, Snider did a good job getting the information out to readers. I liked the style of sectioning off the various forms of media such as comics, books, videos, etc. He made his points clear and concise giving the readers expectations for the various outlets and when the public can get their hands on it.

Outside of the rough beginning to this story, I think the overall content and way the material was provided was done well and I feel much more "in the know" regarding the Halo franchise.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2009-10-05-halo-spins-off-products_N.htm


That's all for now folks!